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I wore heels to the hospital when I showed up for my induction four weeks ago. Heels. And a sundress. Oh, and my mother and I decided to walk there from the doctor’s office, since it was such a nice day (we only made it ten blocks, but still). Heels. Sundress. A stroll on a lovely September day. I say this not to point out how ridiculous I can be — because really, I believe it points itself out — but to outline this thing I do where I get an absurdly ambitious ideal in my head and spend the rest of my time trying to close the gap between the dream and my reality.

Hm, perhaps that didn’t make much sense. Let me put it in food terms. Before I had the baby, I attempted to spend some time baking and stashing, no, not practical things like meals to save us from an endless rotation of diner eggs and takeout pad thai, oh please no. I made things like treats to woo extra-awesome care from labor and delivery nurses and granola bars that our families in the waiting room might enjoy and some date cake we could all enjoy with some fresh baby and coffee the next day. Like I said, absurd. I also imagined that we’d have an influx of visitors in the weeks after we took Jacob home, and realizing I’d have no time to put out my usual spread, decided to ambitiously bake some things we could set out as needed … like banana bread. And lemon cake. And scones. Except I only got to the scones. At least I picked good ones.

Enter the reality of life with a newborn and sure enough, baked goods are the last thing on our minds. And of course we’d forgotten that these scones were stashed them in the freezer until an unusually calm Sunday this past weekend when two friends came by to meet The Cutest Baby Ever Baked (an objective assessment, of course, especially once tiny, elbow-patched Fair Isle sweaters are involved) on Sunday and I wanted to find something — besides wine, that is — we could snack on. The pantry presented me with sorry options — wasabi peas, stale raisins, and half a box of Jelly Belly Sours, anyone? — but there in the freezer were these forgotten scones. I baked them still frosty until they were puffed, golden and made our apartment smell like a fondue pot (that’s a good association, trust me) and even though we were ridiculously overtired and even though the North Fork wine I’d been so eagerly anticipating only put me in a coma and even though Jacob managed to, shall we say Christen, the guest who had the misfortune to witness a diaper change (oops!) and perhaps this wasn’t the kind of calm gathering I had pictured in my late pregnancy haze, it was delicious and hilarious and I realize now that I wouldn’t want it any other way.

It’s worth noting that I had my doubts about this recipe. This world is overflowing with terrible scones and after trying too many bad ones, I came to the conclusion that the only good scones — the only ones you should bother making or eating, ever — are these dreamy cream ones. However, this recipe manages to be different — it contains eggs! — and yet is still delicious but considering the possibility that there are two good scone recipes on earth makes my sleepy head hurt thus I will reconcile this another time. For now, know that these are good, very good.

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and sauté the jalapeños in it until soft, about two minutes. Let them cool, then place them in a small bowl with the cheddar cheese and coat them with one tablespoon of the flour. Combine the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt. Cut in the remaining butter with a pastry blender, fork or two knives, until the butter bits are pea sized.

Lightly whip two of the eggs and cream and add to the flour-butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, fold mixture until it begins to come together. Add the cheddar-jalapeño mixture to the dough and mix until everything is incorporated.

Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently for less than one minute. Pat dough out to a 3/4- to 1-inch thickness and either cut into 8 triangles or the shape of your choice with a biscuit cutter. Make an egg wash by beating the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush the scones with egg wash and place on a parchment-lined (or well-oiled) baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

I AM MAKING THESE! I would make them right now if I could! They sound so deliciously perfect. Yes, little boys always know the worst possible moment to let it fly. :) Hopefully your guest wasn’t too horrified. :)

These look fantastic! Yum! And that baby of yours – come on!! He’s too much – how can you not be kissing that boy 24/7? Nothing makes my day like a new post from smitten – thanks so much for your wonderful blog.

Dear smitten kitchen…. it is about 4 days that I found your blog and I am very very happy… At first I would like to wish your “little cinnamon bun” wellness and happiness for all his life…
Secondly I leave in Greece and I boy, enjoy your cooking…. today I made your blueberry pancakes and in a split of a sec where all gone by my husband, my 12 year old son and my 20mos daughter. The recipe was excellent and I may say that also is excellent the way you explain the method….
I am very pleased to come across this blog…
And by the way, the images of this blog are also fantastic…
bravo!

Haha, I curled my hair when I figured out my labor had started. I knew I wasn’t going to need to be in the hospital for a couple of hours so, I curled my hair. At 1 AM. And I wasn’t even inducing. If that’s not crazy talk, I don’t know what is.

On the topic of scones, Tyler Florence has some lovely, lovely lemon blueberry ones.

I love the picture of Jacob! :-) The sweater with elbow patches is so cute on him that it is almost off of the cutie-ness scale, but the scones are a welcome respite; they look fab! And let’s be honest: They’re bunches better than stale rasins. :-) Hee hee. Thanks for sharing!

Pamela — I removed them but I was paranoid it would be too hot. Jalapenos range wildly in their heat. Best bet is to just try a nibble of one and get an idea of how hot it is, and if it seems too hot, remove the seeds or use less.

Jelly Belly Sours are an incredible snack, what are you talking about?! Why, I could subsist entire on those and a bottle of whisky… until someone found me in a whisky and jelly bean induced coma and took them both away.

But seriously, I am totally going to try these soon. I’m in the land of scones, now, if not so much the land of jalapenos, but why not combine the two? It’ll taste like home, only better.

Also, as your public, I request (nay, demand!) more baby pictures. Because I’m sure you don’t have other things to do, like take care of him.

Okay so you know I’ve loved your blog since the first day I stumbled across it and we started the dialogue about my dominican pastelitos. BUT I can’t tell you how big of a smile I get when I see a new entry post-baby because I know I’ll see a bit of cuteness (that I don’t have to nurse or burp at 3am mind you) in each one.

These look amazing. I’ve been searching for a spinach and cheese scone recipe for quite a while. Do you think adding spinach in place of the jalapenos would work? There would be more spinach than jalapenos, so it’s not exactly an even trade and I’d be worried about all the extra moisture. Does anyone have any suggestions?

These look marvelous, and may I fully concur my objective opinion “You have the cutest baby. Ever.” I can remember that my baby brother delighted in ‘christening’ people…something about the open air on certain parts- made it happen almost every time! We finally learned to keep the new diaper ready as a shield, just in case.

Whenever I think of cheddar biscuits, it reminds me of the ones they have at Red Lobster. While I love the buttery, garlic goodness of them, I curse myself every time I eat them because I know how bad they are for me, and can only imagine the lard they put into them. These on the other hand, look amazing!

I do have to disagree with you on one thing though… how could you say that wasabi peas are a sorry option??? I love those things! :P

…But not as much as your little boy. Seriously, every time you post a picture of that frighteningly adorable baby, I melt into an incoherent puddle of girl. But, seeing as I’m far too young to bake one of my own, I’m just going to stick to the scones.

For some reason I have decided you are the type of person who watched Friends, when it was one. If I am correct then you must remember the episode when Phoebe says that she has two rules in life 1) never fool around with clients 2) always be prepared. To the latter she remarks, “I know its from the army, but it’s just good sense.” Well, it seems to me, Deb, that you too followed that good sense. You took the time when you had it and you’re not regretting it now are you? These scones sound unreal, it’s like math for me cheesy+spicy=good

The scones look like just the ticket to accompany a pot of white chili this weekend. And that Jacob is adorable in his little professorial sweater! (Though until I spotted that little link, I was worried that you were prematurely weaning us off our Jacob habit!!)

Mmm I was thinking about making jalapeno cheddar cornbread and I think these are in order too while it’s still chili season. And sometimes it’s nice being ridiculous like wearing heels on the beach because it’s your honeymoon and you’ll do what you want!

OMG that sweater and that face he’s making is just the cutest and most beguiling photo ever! I can see what you mean when you say you just want to eat him up! At first I was disappointed reading this post when no new photos of Jacob were showing, but figured out I needed to click through. Thanks for sharing your baby with us!

Finally! Savoury scones! I’ve never understood the ones with fruit in them. Might as well have a muffin. I am totally making them this weekend. After your rosemary flatbread (a perennial request since I first made it) this might end up being my new favourite.

As a writing teacher and food blogger, the first line of this post may be the best “lead” I’ve yet seen…I’m going to show it to my students :) Beautiful post, as always. These look rockin’. I’ve been into soup lately, and these would be a great accompaniment.

These looked so good that I ran to the grocery just before they closed to pick up jalapenos and heavy cream so I could make them tonight. They’re baking now and they smell delicious! 10 more minutes….I don’t know if I can wait.

I just made a batch. Cooked one in the toaster oven in my apartment, flash froze the rest. I’m surprised it came out really well! I’m going to make the rest fresh at my parents’ house and surprise them, I can’t wait. Thanks for another amazing recipe!

Omigosh – I totally understand the gap between dreams and reality. I, too, wore heels to the hospital. Although I wasn’t induced – I was just firmly convinced that I Was Not Having Baby Today.

I wish I had this recipe then,; not 8 days after the Birth, my husband looked at me with those wide, hungry, “feed me,” eyes. He has many good qualities … and cooking is not one of them (Once got flustered and very frustrated at me for “tricking him” by telling him to “throw a pat of butter” in the sauce. Apparently Software Blogs don’t explain “pats of butter”).

I wish I had these scones to throw in the oven that afternoon. I agree, most scone recipes are not worth trying! These look like a keeper. (Kinda like that new resident with cinnamon-swirl hair)

Aren’t we insanely stupid when we are pregnant. I made sure to have a pedicure before I went in to labour – so far from my mind were my toes that day. I think it’s all part of the fun though. The memories of what we thought life would proceed as are precious. I love your blog and these scones look damn tasty!

Hi, first time commenter. I’ve been a longtime fan and scan your archives constantly and have been trying to decide which scone recipe to make. I just have to ask, what about the North Fork Scones? you loved those too! have you changed your mind about them? I’ve been torn between those and the dreamy creamy and now of course these!

I am in the cohort of the fellow commenter above that mentioned how she now scans every post looking for a pic of Jacob before going back to start the recipe. I was at a Seattle dinner event last night and a fellow diner and I were chatting about Orangette (Molly) opening Delancey which then lead to us chatting about you, Deb. We then giggled in delight over talk about how far you have come on here since your days before your delightful hubs and now this scrumptious baby. I am a long-time reader and commenter and I can’t thank you enough for giving me and a strangers that I meet something to bond over at the dinner table. You do great work, are a delight to follow and your lightweight humor reminds me of how human we all are. Thank you!

These look awesome and though it’s still 88 and steamy in Hong Kong, I am cooking chili and these scones on Sunday. And just so you know you aren’t alone, I decided the day before I was induced with bambino #2 that it was an excellent time to install a dimmer switch in the babies room of our pre-50’s era house. My mom tried to dissuade me, but I felt it HAD to be done. My husband came in from work to find me enormously preggers with a screwdriver in my hand, switchplate off, ready to go. At least I did turn off the electricity first. At the time, it made SO much sense!

These are certainly a far cry from the scones I grew up with – English style with jam (must always be strawberry) and cream. I will give these a go sometime just for a change, think they would make a nice addition to a brunch table. I’m sure you will post some updated recipes of precious Jacob soon, he must be changing and growing already.

Hey Deb, just wondering if you would use chili peppers or cayenne peppers instead. My husband had three plants of each this past summer and grow over 100 peppers of each kind and I am trying to figure out what to do with them all.

As a long-time nanny and newly-minted postpartum doula, I consider myself an expert in the field of baby-adorableness, and I can officially say that yours, especially in that FREAKING CUTE sweater! is definitely the cutest baby ever. :)

Thanks for sharing. We have a lot of jalapeno cheddar cornbread down this way in Texa, but I had not thought of doing a scone. Great idea. My friends will so impressed. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great writing and work you do.

Can you give me some tips on how you made these scones ahead? I am a new mom myself and always imagined myself donning an apron and baking goodies! I would love to make these scones and stash them away in a freezer.
Thanks
Amy

As an over ambitious gardener and lover of hot peppers, I stashed a rather large supply of jalapeno peppers in the freezer this year; my plants are still producing and I am certain I will have enough to last me through the winter. Thank you for posting such a delectable recipe, one that I will certainly be trying this weekend to put those brilliant peppers to use!

NOTE OF CAUTION TO ANY JALAPENO CHOPPING VIRGINS! Wear gloves! I made these delicious scones last night, but didn’t know I had to wear gloves b/c the chef’s on tv never do! Well normal people have to or it will hurt. Badly. For HOURS.

In other news, the scones were awesome and I served them with chili — huge hit!

Deb, did you have any problem with the cheese causing them to burn on the bottom a little, even with the parchment paper? I did. Wondering if you have a trick.

The last line is the best; I love how you always not only make peace with whatever is going on but embrace it. btw how did an ad for a free bible from the church of latter day saints get on your site? Is that a paid ad? Kind of um, strange to see that here.

A savory scone! Delish! This is very similar to the scone recipe I’ve adapted from Ina Garten, except I substitute buttermilk for the cream and form the dough into two disks, freeze till firm, and cut into six triangles.

Well, I guess I’ve been unfortunate in that all I’ve apparently ever had were bad scones. I do not get the excitement they stir in so many people. The ones I’ve tasted have just tasted like either a biscuit or a shortcake with stuff in it. They were dry, flourly and tasted predominately of baking powder and salt with a sweet back note. The “stuff” in them was dried out and chewy. At least this recipe has cheese and fresh jalapeno pepper in it that couldn’t possibly taste dry.

I don’t know, Deb, it looks like a biscuit with stuff in it to me. I’d be more inclined to make a savory cobbler with this dough..like over a root vegetable casserole! Mmm..that sounds like a much better use for this dough!

Drool. I need these. I need these right now. Well, in all honesty, I’m going to make and freeze them so that I have them on hand when placed in similar situations or when I have put off shopping because life intervened, as it often does with four kids, and those aforementioned children are angry and upset that I served them a meal that did not include a side of bread, which may have happened yesterday. This will be my answer. Thank you.

And that little boy you have? He looks cute enough to eat, as always. I want to come and just give him a little squeeze and smell his head.

I think of myself as an expert scone maker. I love to cut them thick and I usually bake mine frozen (take out of freezer, preheat oven and put in — perfect) and they come out perfect. I always use my fingers when I make scones — for the butter cutting in part. I love savory scones and will definitely try these. I have a recipe I call “the best scones recipe, ever” and I have started using one basic recipes for whatever scone I want to make — chocolate chip, coconut, black walnut, dried cherry. Your scones look yummy.

Re “Christening” the diaper change watcher. There are two lifesavers for the boy changing table. One: what they call “Lap Pads,” which are little squares of waterproofish material. I guess they are supposed to be for your lap, but really, I always used them in the tush area of the changing table so that if there was, um, poop spillage, it would go on the lap pad and the whole changing table cover didn’t need to be changed. Two, get a huge bag of little cheapo baby washcloths. Drop them on the winky (what my boy named his) while changing. It keeps him warmer, making him less likely to squirt, and if he does anyway, the washcloth gets it, and not the grownup near him.
Good luck! The scones look amazing. I’ve never tried making them but I am now!

Tried these with a mixture of yogurt/milk instead of the heavy cream (didn’t have that handy), and they turned out GREAT! Tender, rich and moist. They were excellent fresh out of the (toaster) oven, but weren’t so great (though still nice) later that day. Definitely best fresh.

I don’t know how you manage to write a whole post with that little one occupying your attention, but your loyal fans are thankful!

First post ever – I think I’ve read ALL your blog EVER but within 48 hours… am like a girl possessed… And there’s a baby – incredible!!! But I was very sad that the baby picture with this magic jumper has vanished?

When my wife went into labor with our first girl, some 26 years ago, it was 3 AM. We stopped at a donut shop to buy donuts for the nurses. She still kids me about taking too much time selecting the donuts while she was in labor in the car!

Savory scones are great – our local hangout makes a great Bacon – Gruyere scone that I allow myself to eat about once a month.

Oddly enough, we bought these at the market the night before receiving your recipe, but that didn’t stop us from making them. Like you, neither of us had much success with scone recipes, so we were beyond excited to hear you rave about them. Let me rave too! They were fantastic. We upped the jalapeno ante to four and they were still pretty tame, with just enough bite. Thank you for another incredible meal!

As it so happens, my very first three home-grown jalapeno peppers will be ready for picking tonight! I feel like I blog so much about recipes I find here, that I’m basically ripping you off, but how can I NOT MAKE THESE? They look phenomenal. Your dishes are a real inspiration to me. Thank you so much!

mmmh, savory scones. i got hungry reading this post.
i have to say that i am amazed that your visitors drop by empty-handed. it would never occur to me (or anyone i know) to visit a brand-new-baby-household without bringing something to nibble on, so that the new mama doesn’t have to run around…

Hi Deb,
I absolutely love your blog and recipes!!
However, I have a question. I am a vegetarian and do not eat eggs too.
Is there any substitute for eggs in your recipes( for e.g . in these scones or your awesome cake recipes)?
Thanks in advance!!
Oh, i almost forgot to add…….jacob is SO cute :)

Oooohh.. these are my favourite type of scone, period. You’re killing me. I recently moved to france to study and my tiny, tiny little french appartment has no oven. 2 sketchy burners and a microwave but no concievable way to bake.
Is there any way to make oven-less scones? Or any sort of baking?

The recipe sounds delish — but ohhh, that BABY!!! He is too adorable for words (wee, little, tiny, elbow patches, O.M.G) And, I am so jealous about all his hair. My daughter didn’t have that much hair at age 2!

Oh those look scrumptious! I am 20 weeks pregnant, and all I want to put in my mouth are carbs and cheese. Not to mention this whole not-drinking-wine-for-9-months is driving me slowly insane. I told my husband he’d better bring something with him to the hospital!

I”m bummed. I don’t have a picture of Sweet Baby Jacob in a cute sweater!! Boo , hiss! And you in HEELS and a sundress. You are amazing. The scones look delish but I don’t do anything that has the words dough, knead, etc in the recipe. I’ll just enjoy yours via your fab photos.
V

Cosmic convergence! Stumbled upon your blog after having just pre-made (for tonight’s dinner) a batch of the Barefoot Contessa Chicken Chili…went to bookmark your site from the front page and voila! Jalapeno-cheddar scone recipe staring right at me!! I’m wolfing it down with the chili as I type and all I can think of is MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN! Thanks so much!! You’ve got new devotees in me and the five kids!!

Oh geez, I totally know what you mean with the “absurdly ambitious ideals.” I always get these grandiose ideas that I make myself (and my husband) miserable trying to live up to, but I just can’t give up on them even when I realize how ridiculous I’m being.

Speaking of multiple great scone recipes, your cranberry scones started a whole phase for me where I’ve eaten some type of scone almost every weekend for the last year. Those were always my favorite (great with rhubarb too, by the way), until I tried the buttermilk scones from Tartine’s cookbook. And now…I just don’t know! Both recipes are fantastic!

Gah! Such baby cuteness! And such yummy recipes. I just made quiche lorraine a couple of days ago and now I’ll have to do scones. Sigh. I cannot believe how together you are to even post at this stage. I could barely manage to take a couple of pics of my cinnamon swirl boy. But baking as well – even from the freezer. I won’t tell you how many kitchen catastrophies I had in my son’s early days…..You are amazing.

Maybe I’m crazy, but I love the dried out, chalky scones! I hate it when they’re bread-like and chewy. I want them to be dry, crumbly, flaky, and waiting to be dipped into or eaten with a hot cup of coffee… yum.

Every recipe I’ve tried is chewy and cookie-like. The same goes for biscottis. I think they should be drier, just my personal opinion. Is your ‘dreamy cream’ recipe drier?

Made these last night to go with a big pot of chili — so good!! Since it’s just my husband and me, I baked four and froze the rest for later.

I had one problem, though. I used a biscuit cutter for the scones, but as they baked they oozed out of their little round shape and turned into blobs. They were still tasty, but they looked more like drop biscuits. How did you get yours to keep their shape? Did I let my dough, specifically the butter, get to warm? Thanks!

Hi Deb,
Do you remove the seeds when you chop up the jalepeno’s? Additionally, when you freeze do you bake then freeze or just shape and freeze? I love, love, love your site and the new addition to your family is beautiful. Thanks

Re the christening. I was given a 6 pack of pee-pee tee-pees when my son was a baby – I kid you not. They are little tee-pee shaped cones (made of flannel) in a variety of fabrics and designs that you plop over the christening device to avoid such occurances…..I have to say they were very cute (one was a clown hat design, one a christmas hat style) but most of the time the changing was done far away from them on the dresser and I just used to put the new diaper over my boy until the old one was wisked off and the new one in place.

My current favorite scone recipe has eggs in it too–it’s one Martha gave on her show featuring England, called “Mummy’s White Scones” I believe. The eggs make them taste less biscuit-y to me, though still plenty flaky.

I forgot to make a Big Giant Note in the recipe about the “biscuity” and/or “baking powder-y” taste many people dislike in scones and biscuits. It comes from using a baking powder with aluminum in it, and it is entirely avoidable.

I made these last night to crumble into bread salad as I’m going to be roasting a chicken tonight, Zuni Café style. Just wanted to note that I used two very spicy jalapeños, seeds and ribs included, and the scones came out pretty mild. The high butter and cream content, along with all that tangy sharp cheddar really cuts down the spice. I enjoyed the mild peppery flavor but if anyone wants to kick up the heat I recommend adding 2-3 teaspoons of chili pepper flake.

Hey, Deb, I luuuuuuuuuuv your blog. Anyway, I just HAVE to share this with you and everybody else here. Few days ago I made your ‘majestic and moist honey cake’, just because I like honey and it seems just perfect for my craving that day. I made three little loaf cakes and gave one to my husband so that he can share it with his colleagues at the hospital. It was a huge hit! Everybody went crazy about it and my phone can’t stop ringing from people calling me about the recipe! It’s official, that’s my favorite cake from now on! Thank you for sharing this one. I will make it again somewhere around Christmas time! Greeting from Greece!

Thanks so much. I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for a long time. Problem has been that most people don’t really know how to make scones and they ended up like big (not very good) biscuits. I’m thinking of adding a little minced sun dried tomato to it to get really crazy. I have a feeling that this recipe will do the trick just perfectly.

P.S. You’re not the only person who did crazy baby cooking. I discovered a long time ago that the best gift for a new family is a freezer full of dinners. You can’t be expected to think about everyday food when your in the middle of something so magical! It’s perfectly normal to be dreaming of making lemon bars.

Yummers! Made these last night with dinner. Let me tell you, mine came out spicy and delicious. I used 2 peppers and the saute stage of this recipe had me and my boyfriend in a coughing fit. (No exhaust fan in teh apartment) We were BREATHING FIRE but it was worth it. These are great. In fact, I’m eating one right now. Thanks Deb! :)

Oh, my … with patches on the elbows of his precious little sweater. Just too cute. I would say you and I were separated at birth (because of our ambitious ideas), but I am approaching 60 and it is not even a possibility! Love your site and that sweet baby.

always amazes me when i think about how i viewed things before vs. after baby. you know, how you thought things would be versus how they actually are!!! likely a lot more “flying by the seat of your pants” than you thought you’d be doing, but even with all the crazyness, you would not give up one moment of it.

OH. MY. GODDIE. truly, truly if i lived in NY or you lived in the midwest, we’d be BFF! am brand-spanking new to SK but HAD to make these scones this past weekend – i did bake the entire batch even though there is only my husband and moi sooooooo . . . had them for breakfast Saturday morning w/a sausage patty and a latte’; lunch w/a bowl of butternut-pear bisque, Sunday morning breakfast ditto of Saturday (even though i know they’re best the first day). Sunday we had to work off those so delish scones BUT we sliced them, added a bit of horseradish cream and a couple slices of the pot roast from Saturday’s supper and voila’ – a perfect fall lunch for hiking! needless-to-say, it was a PERFECT weekend!

I’m going to make and freeze these tonight – they look so delicious! I plan on using Cabot habanero cheddar and skipping the jalapenos (and thus skipping the sautéing and the extra pan). Cabot habanero is SO GOOD, but definitely not for the faint of heart! I can’t wait to try this, I think it will be just the right amount of heat when balanced with the all the butter and cream.

I made these for Sunday brunch and there were soooooooooo good. I have been making blueberry scones all summer and wanted to try something savory. I’m glad I did. This one’s a keeper. Hint: Whenever I need to add cold butter to a flour mixture, I freeze the butter first and when I’m ready to use it in the recipe, I place my microplane grater (coarse grate) over the bowl and grate it into the dry mixture. It incorporates so nicely.

Made these yesterday after a few days of deep craving for them! I started in the morning but got distracted and couldn’t finish before work so put the dough, covered, in the fridge until the evening. They were easier to work with in the end and delicious to eat! Thanks for the recipe.

I may not wear heels to the hospital when it’s my time to deliver BUT I’m doing my hair & make-up darn it :p And I love scones … I have no issues with the biscuity taste … make ’em cheesy or creamy or spicy … I’ll eat ’em all! Of course, this could just be my pregnancy hormones talking.

I made these last night for my spanish themed dinner party and they turned out FABULOUS, everyone loved them. I also stuck with 1 jalapeno pepper, but mostly because my eyes and nose were tearing/running. Thanks!

I’m an American transplant in Australia and before I got here what little I knew about scones was that they were these extremely dense, dry things that I would occasionally eat at a Starbucks. The only reason I ate them was I assumed they must be healthy, why would any one eat them otherwise, right? The five plus years I’ve lived here I’ve discovered scones are soft, flaky pastries that are best scarfed down warm, right out of the oven.

Classic scone recipes here have 1 egg in the dough. But there is a recipe from Bill Granger, a self-taught Australian cook/restauranteur, known for his simple delicious recipes that are easy to replicate. He has a recipe for what he describes as breakfast scones that have 2 eggs in the dough plus 1 for an egg wash. This recipe is exactly the same as the above recipe for the basic dough except for 1 additional of 1 tablespoon of sugar these are meant for breakfast. Our favorite variation is to substitute dates for the blueberries. Here is the link to the full recipe that also includes a video of Bill cooking the scones on an open camp fire! Here is Australia there is practically nothing that hasn’t been attempted on a “barbie.” http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/6871/blueberry-breakfast-scones

I made these delicious scones a couple of weeks ago and wanted to chime in with a suggestion that, aesthetically speaking, they are better looking if frozen first.

Mine were a huge hit at a potluck dinner but in order to make them more pretty I sort of plucked off the lacey bits of cheese that fried to the pan. If they had been frozen first I don’t think the cheese would have melted as fast in cooking and the cheese fringe could have been avoided. Just an added bonus of the flash freezing, but only for looks. These are so good I don’t know if I could wait for them to freeze before baking them up.

Also, I used two jalapenos and they still weren’t spicey at all _ just a nice green chili flavor. Don’t be afraid to keep some seeds in if you want a little kick.

I made these and they are delicious. I added diced ham about 1/2 cup to the recipe. Also, I can’t do dairy. I used manchengo cheese instead of chedder made of sheeps milk. For the heavy cream I put 1/4 cup soy and 1/4 soy cream cheese. Delish! Thanks for the recipe.

I just started reading Smitten Kitchen thanks to a friend who shared it, and I am really enjoying the inspiration you provide :) I just made this recipe, following your instructions to a T (well, except I didn’t shape them with a cookie cutter or anything…just used my hands), and they came out delectably! Thank you for the great recipe! And congrats on your handsome little cinna-bun!

I made these last weekend, and they were nothing short of divine. And for the first time in my baking life, I actually achieved the much-desired flaky, pie crust like tender texture that had thus far eluded me. These will be prominently featured next time we have dinner guests. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

Hi! I made the dough for these on Tuesday and baked them up this morning. The only differences were I used three (red) jalapenos and made drop scones instead of rolled scones. They are so delicious! The texture is nice and tender and there is just enough cheese and a good amount of heat (three was a good amount). I haven’t used diced cheese before in a baked good–I usually use shredded–and I really liked how there were nice little nuggets of cheese in the middle. Thanks for the great recipe!

These were GREAT! I served them with chili 5 minutes after they came out of the oven and everyone was very pleased :)
I used 2 jalapenos and although they gave a nice flavor- there was no heat. Maybe I should have left the seeds in?

funny story…my sweet husband has decided to take up baking (for the most part with great success). He tried to make these this weekend but after 15 minutes in the oven they looked done but kinda weird. We took a bite, looked at each other, and started laughing- they were completely inedible. Clearly, he had made a mistake somewhere bc all of your other recipes we’ve made have been wonderful. After perusing the recipe I asked him what baking powder he used and he showed me the arm and hammer box…he didn’t know that there was a difference between baking powder and baking soda. We had a good laugh about it and he’s going to re-try this weekend with the correct ingredients.

Made a batch of these yesterday, to go with some creamy tomato soup – my wife and I both loved them. I actually used two whole jalapeños (inc seeds!) and to be honest they could have been hotter – but we loved them all the same…

hey Deb,
i’ve been surfing ur blog for quite some time now and have tried some of your recipes…they always turn out amazing! thanks so much!! I just tried these scones last night and they turned out great…i tried ’em with monterey jack instead and i think i might even go the route of serranos or habaneros the next time!

I made these this weekend, and they were just great! Everyone loved them! Thanks so much for sharing, and for the very clear and succinct instructions. I’m a complete baking novice- I mean, is there a word for pre-novice, even?- and was able to follow this.

A couple of months ago I actually happened to have sharp cheddar and jalapeños around so I made a batch of these and froze them. I brought them to the coast last weekend for our dinner club getaway and OMG… they were soooo decadent. Everybody loved how perfectly flaky, buttery and cheesy they were, what’s not to love about that?

I loved these! I made 4 batches for my sisters fiesta themed birthday. We were in Mexico the week before the party and it was great to make them freeze them and pull them out the morning of the party and have homemade warm scones for the party! I used 8 jalapenos (with seeds) and they had just enough kick! Everyone raved about them! Thank you!

I’m usually afraid of baking. It always comes out never the way I want it to, or the way it should. But I took a chance and made these last night with a lamb stew and they came out AWESOME. Thank you for recipe. I will be making it again.

Mmmmm….sounds like a great recipe! Reminds me of one that I found (and tried….and loved) that was in an old issue of Bon Appetit Magazine. Cornmeal Biscuits with Cheddar and Chipotle. I love cheese and spice combos when it comes to bread. I’ll definitely be making these scones!

Cheesy delight. It was so quick and easy to make. And made the whole house smell so warm and delicious. The only disappointing factor was it didn’t have enough heat for me. Might try using more peppers or spicier ones next time. Thanks for another go to recipe!!

I tried this recipe today — they are just wonderful! Beautiful texture. I used three jalapenos, and though the flavor was great, they didn’t have any heat. I think I may try again without sauteeing the peppers before adding them.

Had some left over chili soup simmering on the stove tonight and thought to myself “this would be really yummy with some home-made biscuits.” I popped onto your site remembering a jalapeno-cheddar scone recipe…and voila!
I only had one serrano pepper (instead of jalepeno), substituted sour cream (with a splash of milk) for the heavy cream, and added in some crumbled turkey bacon. YUMMMMM! These turned out beautifully.
Am such a huge fan of your site & am loving how creative and adventurous I am becoming in the kitchen. You’re an inspiration. Thanks so much, Deb!

I made these and your “dreamy cream scones” for a group breakfast at work this morning. I keep having to take bites of each to try and figure out which I like better! Thanks so much for such great recipes – both are definite keepers.

do you think there would be more heat to these if the peppers were not suated first? at first i thought my only mistake was taking the seeds out, but it seems others who didn’t also thought there wasn’t enough heat.

These were wonderful this morning! We used a serrano (because that’s what we had) and added some bacon (because the hubby had a craving) and they were delicious, though not in the least spicy. We’ll add more bite next time.

These were fantastic. I actually had a smaller biscuit cutter (might have been one of my grandma’s cookie cutters, but who cares, right?) so these made perfect little mini biscuits for me. They are fantastic and I carefully tucked the recipe away for my “chili” days. I also used 2 jalapenos – I definitely taste them, but there’s no heat. Maybe will try not using the saute part next time.

I’m new to this blog–just found this recipe and I’m very excited to try it–I have a million jalapenos from the garden and I have no clue what to do with them all.

In regards to the cutest baby ever business: at first I was skeptical, but seriously after curiously clicking on that link, I have to agree. Your boy is frickin cute! It’s not just the sweater–the fringe of hair and cheeks are too much.

I made these with double the jalapenos, and they still had NO heat. I know it wasn’t the jalapenos, as they were from my garden and I had a very spicy crop this year. I think the combination of them cooking down in the butter and then again in the oven causes most of the heat to cook out. I would try maybe just tossing them in the melted butter, but not actually cooking them before they go in the oven. Maybe also adding 1/2 tsp of cayenne. These were tasty, but I was disappointed in the lack of heat.

Ok, I just read on Cooks Illustrated that freezing jalapenos causes them to loose their heat, so that was the problem. If you plan on freezing these, I would add some cayenne/chipotle/chili powder to the mix.

Wow, I made these last night and they were AMAZING. I learned to make great biscuits (scones) at my mama’s knee, but I have never had them turn out as well as these. Great texture!

I did substitute milk for the cream (I just didn’t have any) and left out the jalapenos because the flavor wouldn’t have gone well with the rest of dinner.
I also brushed them with some melted butter and a pinch of Old Bay Seasoning.
I doubled the batch and froze some for later like you suggested. I can’t wait to eat them again!
Deb, I have never tried a recipe from your site and had a problem. Thanks!

These were great! I made them tonight with chipotle sweet potato soup (which was so hot that I couldn’t really judge the heat level of the scones — but, anyway, they were delicious). I used milk because I was too lazy to go buy cream, and I was still pleased with the texture. Thanks for the great recipe!

I made these for our trip to the beach. They traveled well and were so savory. We had these on our balcony every afternoon with some red wine. I added some bacon and chives (from Emeril’s recipe). Unfortunately, I am going to start eating clean after the new year…so I guess I will just have to make these for friends and family to enjoy. Yum, Yum, Yum! Thank you for this delicious recipe!

I have made these twice now and they are delicious. The second time I ran out of white flour and had to use a cup of whole wheat flour. They were a bit drier but still delicious. I also tried flash freezing as suggested for the first time. This is a wonderful site!

Just made these for my SIL who requested savory scones in place of a birthday cake… Soooooo good! The eggs made for a fantastic texture that I’ve never had on a scone before. Thanks for the great recipe, this is definitely a keeper!

I made these this week with jalapenos I grew in my garden. I left a few seeds in just to make sure it would be hot but I could have left more in. I am not brave enough to taste a raw jalapeno to see how hot it is though! Anyway they turned out to be delicious,and my husband even took the leftovers to work the next day and they disappeared! I have come to trust the recipes on your blog because they are so well thought out, and I love the pictures!

Just wanted to delurk to say this is one of my favourite scone recipes. Scones/Biscuits are some of the things I bake most and these are a winner. I’ve made them 2-3 times now and delicious every time.

I made these a few weeks ahead of a big tailgating brunch I threw just this weekend- they were a total hit, so delicious, even after freezing the dough for a few weeks! Great recipe, I’ll be making these over and over, for sure!!

I had these amazing spinach and cheese scones and now want to replicate them. Do you think this recipe would be well-suited for that? Or should I refer back to your dreamy cream scones? I’m thinking spinach and cheddar/Parmesan….

I made these for a bake sale (I baked them right?) They were such a hit! No one thinks of using savoury baked goods; it may be my new thing. They were such a perfect constancy! Not dry, crumbly or too wet. Melty, crispy cheese helps out too

Loved this recipe (and every other one that I`ve tried so far ;-D), but i would suggest to add a few herbs into the batter, I think rosemary or some “herbs de provence” would go beautifully with it! Greetings from German!

Deb!! You did it again! :) I was nervous to make this because I rarely do savory baked goods. You gave me a bit of confidence when the butternut squash galette turned out nothing less of perfect! I froze these scones and baked them straight from the freezer at 400 for only about 18 minutes (I made about 12 smaller scones), and they were so flakey, like a biscuit! I couldn’t stop eating them!! Thank you!

I have a surplus of jalapenos since we decided to plant a jalapeno in our garden this year. thus, the wonderfulness of finding this recipe. I would have used more jalapenos but was afraid of making them inedibly spicy so I only used 2. i’m going to experiment with more next time since mine were not the least bit spicy, though. First time making scones and the texture came out wonderfully so thank you for the great instructions

Thank you for sharing this recipe! I haven’t been successful with scones until I tried these. I added bacon to mine and they are so amazing. The texture is even better than the delicious scones at the coffee shop near my house, which totally made my day. Thanks again!

I just found your website a couplw of days ago. These turned out great!! I made a butter mixture to put on them from Jalapeno Cream Cheese, Pepper Jelly and butter. Yum
Will try adding bacon next time, sounds great

I just tried these and they bubbled in the oven and when i took them out, there was a pool of grease amongst my scones! I am definitely not a scone expert, but I think there was too much fat to other stuff ratio in the scones… is that possible?

Note to all…you can freeze these 10 minutes before baking them, this will help the scones rise (as your colld butter steams up in the dough while it’s cooking!) Same amount of time as the original recipe!

These were delicious!! I made the dough last night, froze them, and then baked them to have with dinner tonight. They were so tender and delicious!! I added a TBSP of jalapeno juice from a jar of sliced jalapenos that I had in fridge because my husband is a big jalapeno fan, I added that when I added the cream. I used 2 medium size fresh jalapenos to mince up rather than small ones, that was a good amount for his tastes. But they would have been just as good if I’d followed the recipe exactly. Oh, and I cut them into smaller triangles and baked for less time. I am going to bake the rest of them tomorrow morning to take into work. :)

Awww…baby Jacob :) I have made these with and without the heat (before and after kids!) and my “cheese biscuits” have become a family favorite. I didn’t have any cream with my last batch, so I used half and half and didn’t notice any difference…thanks again for the recipe and adorable baby pics

I made these tonight for a potluck at work tomorrow. They taste amazing right now, very fluffy and light. I used 3 jalapeno for 2 batches and they have a mild kick that i like but i will follow the suggested 2 per batch next time. I think i will try a heat free version sometime and substiture the pepper for green onion since this recipe was so easy to make. Thanks!

I made them this morning and they are delish!! I used two jalapeños with every seed removed and it had a bit of heat. I would say these are far more biscuit than scone. And I ended up with 13 instead of 8 so hooray!

This is such an awesome recipe! I have been making them for years. I love that I can easily replace the jalapeños with whatever I have (green garlic, shallot, other herbs) So many of your recipes are like that and I love it. Thank you!

I made this for a brunch and they were very good! I didn’t have jalapeño or heavy cream so i swapped them for 2 green onions and milk. They were ready after 15 minutes in the oven, maybe the milk made them cooked faster? They are quite tasty anyway and i will make them again!

I made these and flash froze them–they baked up beautifully as needed! My notes:
Used 2/3 whole wheat flour–they were still light and lovely.
Serrano chiles were a great sub for jalapeno.
Folded the loose dough a couple of times to create flakes, which seemed to work well!
Next time, I might sub milk for cream. These were so rich (I can’t beleive I’m saying this), that it seemed like it wouldn’t be missed.